Ring-forging press

ABSTRACT

Means for forging pierced and up-set block sections into rings on a forging press, provided with a vertically arranged mandrel and a horizontally acting forging ram, and means for turning and displacing the ring. A secondary mandrel, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the main mandrel, may be included for the manipulation of rings with initially relatively small holes.

United States Patent Muller et al.

[451 June 20, 1972 i 54] RING-FORGING PRESS [72] inventors: Willy Muller, Dusseldorf-Genesheim; Helmut Robra, Mulheim/Ruhr, both of Germany [73] Assignee: Schloernann Aktiengesellschalt, Dusseldorf, Germany [22] Filed: April 17, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 29,504

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data April 19, 1969 Germany ..P 19 19 939.4

[52] US. 72/421, 72/377 [51] Int. B2ld 43/02 [58] Field of Search ..72/76, 377, 400, 403, 417,

72/420, 421; 83/183, 267; 214/1 Q; 198/33 AB [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,229,493 1/ 1966 l-lildebrandt et al. ..72/377 M FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 965,281 5/1957 Germany Scott ..72/403 X Kralowetz ..72/377 X Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-John E. Roethel Anomey-Holman, Glascock, Downing & Seebold ABSTRACT Means for forging pierced and up-set block sections into rings on a forging pres, provided with a vertically arranged mandrel and a horizontally acting forging ram, and means for tuming and displacing the ring. A secondary mandrel, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the main mandrel, may be included for the manipulation of rings with initially relatively small holes.

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firmmnevs RING-FORGING PRESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a ring-forging press, provided with a device for the intermittent displacement of the ring between the forging ram and the mandrel.

The forging of block sections upset and pierced in combined upsetting and piercing presses into rings has hitherto been carried out by means of vertical forging presses, wherein the pierced block section is placed upon a horizontal mandrel, which is carried by two trestles or pedestals, and is gradually widened to a ring by a forging ram or punch working vertically against the horizontal mandrel. The cross-sectional thickening (broadening) occurring during the widening must be removed again in a special operation, the so-called levelling or flattenmg.

After each widening forging stroke the ring must be turned from time to time through a definite angle of its periphery upon the mandrel.

A known device for the intennittent rotating of the ring to be forged upon the mandrel consists in the feature that the ring hangs above a mandrel, which is supported upon pedestals in the forging direction and is turned by a manipulator. After each forging stroke, the manipulator turns the mandrel through a definite angle, and in this way transports the ring stepwise in a tangentialdirection.

Many of the methods and appliances hitherto used for forging rings on a mandrel in a free-fonn forging press involved time-wasting erections and dismantlings in the press. Moreover, the transporting, particularly of heavy rings, for the overhanging upon a mandrel and the removal from the apparatus, are complicated, and cost heat and time. In addition to this, the ring, during the widening operation, right through,

must be taken out of the press by the mandrel, and the crosssectional thickening (broadening) occurring during the widening by way of the mandrel must be removed in a special flattening device. Furthermore, the presses for large rings had to be made very high, or else the under beam had to be provided with a slot for the ring, which became larger during the forging. During the intermittent turning of the ring, the impression of the forging ram and/or mandrel upon the inner side of the ring should not be too deep, since otherwise there was the risk that the ring would not be able to be turned beyond this recess.

The problem of the invention was therefore to transport the up-set and pre-pierced block section in a simple manner, without complicated transport manipulations, to the forging press, and to forge it in only one working position, that is to say, without supplementary transport and without turning, and as far as possible with a single heating-up operation, to a ring of any desired size, while the ring is to be tumable intermittently in the press in a simple manner between the individual strokes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention therefore provides a ring-forging press, comprising a vertically arranged main mandrel, a forging ram horizontally movable relatively to the mandrel, a device for intermittently displacing the ring to be forged between the forging ram and the mandrel, a C-shaped frame open at the top connecting the forging ram and the mandrel, an underlying bearing surface located horizontally around the mandrel for supporting the ring to be forged, and a device, operable when the forging ram is retracted from the mandrel, for horizontally and rectilinearly displacing the ring at an acute angle to and in the opposite sense of the forging stroke of the forging ram and for simultaneously moving the internal surface of the ring away from the mandrel.

In a further development of the invention, the mandrel can be lowered vertically, and continuously (steplessly) adjusted, and upon its upper end is eccentrically arranged a mandrel the diameter of which is less than that of the main mandrel, in

such a way that the side facing the forging ram is flush with that of the main mandrel. I

By the forging press according to the invention it is now possible to set down a block section, vertically pierced on the combined up-setting and piercing or punching press, upon the mandrel, by simple horizontal transporting by means of a crane from above, without any hindrance, or, with the mandrel lowered, to slide the mandrel, with the hole, from the side, and then to lift the mandrel up again. Since the forging press has the C-shaped frame open at the top, there is no limit, when forging the block by widening it to a ring, to the size of the ring, from the dimensions of the machine; for the ring lies flat upon a working surface, and can be widened to any desired size, without being hampered by columns and/or an under beam, as is the case with vertically acting forging presses.

By means of the device according to the invention for displacing the rings on the contact surface at an acute angle to the direction of forging, with theforging ram retracted, the ring can advantageously be moved away from the mandrel, with its inner annular surface, in optional stages. The magnitude of the stages will be judged according to what forging step the ring is to be moved through each time. In consequence of the displacement of the ring, the center of the ring moves obliquely out of the forging axis. The forging ram thereupon pushes the ring back against the mandrel in the direction of pressing. Since, however, the contact points of the forging ram with the outside of the ring and of the mandrel with the inside of the ring are located each time to the right and left of the forging axis, the ring, upon further advance of the forging ram, is rocked in again with its center point into the forging axis, and is thus shifted further at the same time tangentially by one forging step with its periphery on the mandrel.

One is, therefore, in a position, even in thecase of a deep indentation impressed on the internal surface of the ring, by appropriately adjusting the displacement angle to the axis of forging, to shift the forged ring in all cases a bit away from the mandrel. If the ring was to be more strongly forged, according to a hitherto known process, upon a horizontal mandrel, with the intermittent advance of the ring being effected by rotating the mandrel by means of a manipulator or some other turning appliance, the ring, with a deeper notch on the inside of the ring, would have had to be transportable with difficulty by turning the mandrel, for this notch would have hindered further transport.

The smaller mandrel member eccentrically arranged upon the main mandrel serves advantageously to forge and widen block sections pierced upon the punching press, firstly until the increasing internal diameter of the ring permits forging over the main mandrel. For this purpose, the mandrel will travel upwards correspondingly to the thickness of the ring.

In a further development of the invention, the contact surface for the ring is constructed as an oscillatingly displaceable ring support, wherein, for smaller ring dimensions, removable tappet members are arranged upon the contact surface at the level of the smaller mandrel member. In this way, a separate displacement device is no longer required. A construction of displacement beam as a ring support is also conceivable, wherein the beam or beams may advantageously be so constructed as to be capable of being raised during the forward stroke and of being lowered below the ring-contact surface during the retraction stroke.

According to a further development of the invention, another arrangement for the transport of the ring consists in the feature that as a ring-displacing device a push member is provided, which acts upon the periphery of the ring and reciprocates it horizontally. In this case, there may advantageously act as the push member, a beam arranged above the ring contact surface with its axis perpendicular to the direction of displacement, co-operating with a power implement arranged in the direction of displacement. In this case, the power implement provided is preferably a hydraulically actuated piston-and cylinder unit, which can travel in a horizontal guide at an acute angle to the ring-displacing device and can be arrested in this guide.

The advantage of this arrangement resides in the fact that the ringtdisplacing device lies above the ring-contact surface, and always displaces the ring by pushing it on the basis of the piston-and-cylinder unit movable at an acute angle to the direction of ring displacement, in the piston-and-cylinder axis, irrespectively of what particular diameter the ring may have as a result of the forging. There is therefore, no eccentric action of force in the piston-and-cylinder unit.

A ring-forging device for the all-round forging of rings in only one working position is further characterized by a forging press of the horizontally working kind, and a vertically acting ring-flattening device immediately following in the direction of rotation of the ring. The ring-flattening device advantageously consists of a cylinder, arranged between a laterally open C-shaped frame with upper and lower arms, with a forging ram and an upper saddle constituting the upper arm, and with a lower saddle constituting the lower arm, the forging surface of the lower saddle being arranged at the level of the contact surface for the ring.

In this way, a ring can be forged with a single heating, including both widening in a radial direction and flattening in an axial direction, without special transport manipulations being thereby rendered necessary. The forging sequences of the two forging presses arranged in series are advantageously altemating, so that from time to time only one ram of the two presses is in pressing contact with the ring.

One example of the invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS horizontally acting widening forging press and a vertically acting ring-flattening device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A horizontally acting forging press 1 is erected in a foundation pit 2, and consists of a C-shaped frame 3 (FIG. 1) open at the top. On one limb of the frame 3 is arranged a cylinder 4 having a piston 5 and a piston-rod 6 provided with a forging ram 7 acting horizontally. The pressure-liquid connections to the cylinder 4 are marked 8 and 9. On the other limb is movably guided vertically a mandrel 10. The displacing is effected by means of a hydraulic power implement 11, which is connected with the frame 3 by way of an arm 12. The power implement 11 consists of a cylinder 13 secured to the arm 12, and a piston 14 guided in this cylinder, with a piston-rod 15. The pressure-liquid connections to the cylinder 13 are marked 16 and 17. The frame 3 rests with one side upon a girder 18.

The mandrel carries, upon its upper end face a mandrel member 19 of smaller diameter, which is eccentrically arranged in such a way that its side facing the forging ram 7 is flush with the side of the mandrel 10. A ring 20 lies flat upon an underlying support 21 between the forging ram 7 and the mandrel 10. The smaller mandrel member 19 serves for rings which, before the first forging, have only a comparatively small aperture, produced on a punching press. For the forging of these block sections, the mandrel 10 is lowered into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 1. After the ring, by forging, has reached an internal diameter which corresponds at least to the diameter of the mandrel 10, the mandrel 10 is hydraulically raised, which, owing to flush sides of the mandrels. will not cause the position of the ring to change. Forging of the ring is then resumed. but against the mandrel 10.

A ring-displacing device working at an acute angle to the direction of forging effects the intermittent transporting of the ring 20, the inside of the ring moving away from the mandrel 10 at times, in a direction opposite to the forging direction, through the length of the stroke multiplied by the sine of the angle ,8 (see FIG. 2).

The mode of action of the interplay of the ring displacement and the movement of the forging ram, whereby ultimately the intermittent rotational advance of the ring 20 is efi'ected, is illustrated by FIGS. 3a-3d:

In FIG. 3a, the ring 20 is located between the forging ram 7 and the mandrel 10, with the forging ram having just executed a forging stroke at the position on the ring 20 which is marked X In FIG. 3b the forging ram 7 is retracted, and a displacing device has rectilinearly and horizontally displaced the ring through an acute angle a to the forging axis in the direction of the arrow and in the opposite sense to the direction of forging. The marking X now lies outside and parallel to the forging axis, and the internal surface of the ring has been moved away from the mandrel.

In FIG. 30, the forging ram 7 has engaged the ring 20 on the periphery, in this case at the marking X, and has advanced it so far that the inside of the ring just touches the mandrel 10. The points of contact of the forging ram with the outside of the ring and of the mandrel with the inside of the ring now lie to the right and left of the forging axis. Upon a fresh advance of the forging ram 7, the ring, owing to the points of contact being spaced apart, is turned with its center point Y into the forging axis by a torque exerted upon the ring 20. In this case, the mark X, which has hitherto stood parallel to the forging axis, now stands at an angle to the forging axis which cor responds to the angle of rotation of the'ring 20, and therefore to the rotary step (see FIG. 3d).

In FIG. 4 is shown a ring-displacing device in which a ring support may at the same time be displaced obliquely to theforging axis. The ring 20 rests upon the underlying support 21, which is partially provided with a slot 22 of the thickness of the mandrel 10, and, in the retracted position is spaced away, with its edge 23 from the mandrel 10, by at least the amount of the stroke to be advanced. After the ring 20, by means of the support 21, with the forging ram 7 is retracted, has advanced by the amount of the particular step, the forging ram advances and rotates the ring 20 in the manner previously described. Underneath the ring, held fast on the mandrel 10 by the forging ram 7, the support travels back again into its original position. The displacing of the support 21 may, in this case, be effected by a power appliance 24. For the displacement of relatively small rings, which are forged around the smaller mandrel member 19, detachable tappets or drivers 25, for instance a beam arranged on abutments, are provided on the support 21.

Another displacing device, constructed as a horizontally movable push member, is shown by FIG. 5. At an acute angle to the forging axis, and acting oppositely to the forging direction, a power appliance 26 is provided, consisting of a cylinder 27, a piston 28 and a piston-rod 29. This appliance, with a beam 30 secured to the piston rod 29 transversely to the direction of displacement, displaces the ring 20 lying upon a stationary support, by bearing against the periphery thereof. Since, even with rings 20 that are becoming larger, the power engagement on the ring is always to be efiected as centrally as possible to the axis of the power appliance 26, with this appliance being displaceable in a guide 31 in the support at an 7 acute angle to the axis of the power appliance 26 and can be machined in one position both for horizontal widening and for vertical flattening is illustrated in FIG. 6, by the arrangement of a vertically acting ring-flattening device 32, which is arranged, in the direction of ring rotation, immediately behind the horizontally acting forging press 1, with the forging ram 7.

The ring-flattening device 32 consists of a C-shaped frame, standing vertically, open towards the ring 20, the forging surface of the lower saddle, which fomis the lower arm of the frame being located at the level of the ring support. The upper saddle is secured to the forging ram, and forms the upper arm of the frame. These two arms are made so wide that they can engage, for flattening, rings of all sizes.

We claim:

1. A ring-forging press, comprising: a vertically arranged main mandrel, a forging ram horizontally movable relatively to the said mandrel, a device for intermittently displacing the ring to be forged between the forging ram and the mandrel, a C-shaped frame open at the top connecting the forging ram with the mandrel, and underlying bearing surface located horizontally around the mandrel for supporting the ring to be forged, and a device, operable when the forging ram is retracted from the mandrel, for horizontally and rectilinearly displacing the ring at an acute angle to and in the opposite sense to the direction of the forging stroke of the forging ram, and for simultaneously moving the internal surface of the ring away from the mandrel.

2. The ring-forging press as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: means for lowering vertically and continuously adjusting the main mandrel, a secondary mandrel, smaller than said main mandrel, standing upon the upper end face of main mandrel, the sides of the main and secondary mandrels that face the forging ram being flush with one another.

3. A ring-forging press comprising: a vertically arranged main mandrel, a forging ram horizontally movable relatively to the mandrel, a device for intermittently displacing the ring to be forged between the forging ram and the mandrel, a C- shaped frame open at the top connecting the forging ram with the mandrel, an underlying bearing surface located horizontally around the mandrel for supporting the ring to be forged, a device for horizontally displacing the ring, when the forging ram is retracted from the mandrel, at an acute angle to the direction of forging, and for simultaneously moving the internal surface of the ring away from the mandrel, means for lowering vertically and continuously adjusting the main mandrel, a secondary mandrel, smaller than said main mandrel, standing upon the upper end face of the main mandrel, the sides of the main and secondary mandrels that face the forging ram being flush with one another, the bearing surface that underlies the ring being constructed as an oscillatable support, and the press further comprising detachable tappets provided on said bearing surface for rings of relatively small dimensions, at the level of the secondary mandrel.

4 A ring-forging press comprising: a vertically arranged main mandrel, a forging ram horizontally movable relatively to the mandrel, a device for intermittently displacing the ring to be forged between the forging ram and the mandrel, a C- shaped frame open at the top connecting the forging ram with the mandrel, an underlying bearing surface located horizontally around the mandrel for supporting the ring to be forged, a device for horizontally displacing the ring, when the forging ram is retracted from the mandrel, at an acute angle to the direction of forging, and for simultaneously moving the internal surface of the ring away from the mandrel, the ring-displacing device being a push member, movable to and fro horizontally, and engaging the periphery of the ring.

5. The ring-forging press as claimed in claim 4, the push member being a beam arranged above the ring-supporting surface with its axis perpendicular to the direction of ring displacement, and the press further comprising a power appliance for impelling the beam and the push member in the direction of displacement.

6. The ring-forging press as claimed in claim 5, the power appliance being a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder unit, and the press also including a horizontal guide for guiding the piston of said unit at an acute angle to the direction of ring displacement.

7. Ring-forging means for the all-round forging of rings in only one working position, comprising: a forging press as claimed in claim 1 and a vertically acting ring-flattening device immediately following the horizontally working forging press in the direction of rotation of the ring.

8. Ring-forging means as claimed in claim 7, the ring-flattening device comprising a laterally open C-shaped frame formed with upper and lower arms, the forging ram and the upper saddle of the press constituting the upper arm of the C- shaped frame and the lower saddle of the press constituting the lower arm, and the forging surface of the lower saddle being at the level of the underlying bearing surface for the ring. 

1. A ring-forging press, comprising: a vertically arranged main mandrel, a forging ram horizontally movable relatively to the said mandrel, a device for intermittently displacing the ring to be forged between the forging ram and the mandrel, a C-shaped frame open at the top connecting the forging ram with the mandrel, and underlying bearing surface located horizontally around the mandrel for supporting the ring to be forged, and a device, operable when the forging ram is retracted from the mandrel, for horizontally and rectilinearly displacing the ring at an acute angle to and in the opposite sense to the direction of the forging stroke of the forging ram, and for simultaneously moving the internal surface of the ring away from the mandrel.
 2. The ring-forging press as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: means for lowering vertically and continuously adjusting the main mandrel, a secondary mandrel, smaller than said main mandrel, standing upon the upper end face of main mandrel, the sides of the main and secondary mandrels that face the forging ram being flush with one another.
 3. A ring-forging press comprising: a vertically arranged main mandrel, a forging ram horizontally movable relatively to the mandrel, a device for intermittently displacing the ring to be forged between the forging ram and the mandrel, a C-shaped frame open at the top connecting the forging ram with the mandrel, an underlying bearing surface located horizontally around the mandrel for supporting the ring to be forged, a device for horizontally displacing the ring, when the forging ram is retracted from the mandrel, at an acute angle to the direction of forging, and for simultaneously moving the internal surface of the ring away from the mandrel, means for lowering vertically and continuously adjusting the main mandrel, a secondary mandrel, smaLler than said main mandrel, standing upon the upper end face of the main mandrel, the sides of the main and secondary mandrels that face the forging ram being flush with one another, the bearing surface that underlies the ring being constructed as an oscillatable support, and the press further comprising detachable tappets provided on said bearing surface for rings of relatively small dimensions, at the level of the secondary mandrel. 4 A ring-forging press comprising: a vertically arranged main mandrel, a forging ram horizontally movable relatively to the mandrel, a device for intermittently displacing the ring to be forged between the forging ram and the mandrel, a C-shaped frame open at the top connecting the forging ram with the mandrel, an underlying bearing surface located horizontally around the mandrel for supporting the ring to be forged, a device for horizontally displacing the ring, when the forging ram is retracted from the mandrel, at an acute angle to the direction of forging, and for simultaneously moving the internal surface of the ring away from the mandrel, the ring-displacing device being a push member, movable to and fro horizontally, and engaging the periphery of the ring.
 5. The ring-forging press as claimed in claim 4, the push member being a beam arranged above the ring-supporting surface with its axis perpendicular to the direction of ring displacement, and the press further comprising a power appliance for impelling the beam and the push member in the direction of displacement.
 6. The ring-forging press as claimed in claim 5, the power appliance being a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder unit, and the press also including a horizontal guide for guiding the piston of said unit at an acute angle to the direction of ring displacement.
 7. Ring-forging means for the all-round forging of rings in only one working position, comprising: a forging press as claimed in claim 1, and a vertically acting ring-flattening device immediately following the horizontally working forging press in the direction of rotation of the ring.
 8. Ring-forging means as claimed in claim 7, the ring-flattening device comprising a laterally open C-shaped frame formed with upper and lower arms, the forging ram and the upper saddle of the press constituting the upper arm of the C-shaped frame and the lower saddle of the press constituting the lower arm, and the forging surface of the lower saddle being at the level of the underlying bearing surface for the ring. 